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How Brands Can Use Deferred Deep Links To Convert Mobile Web Visitors to App Users

“64% of wealthy consumers favor brands that offer mobile applications over those that do not. Furthermore, 71% believed that they are better connected to the brands after downloading their mobile applications.“– Plastic Mobile and Luxury Institute

With more large brands favoring native applications over mobile web, the question becomes how to ensure a smooth transition and optimal user experience from the mobile web to in-app. Any brand that’s heavily invested in their native application(s) will want to direct mobile web visitors into their app(s). Until now, marketing these types of applications (ecommerce, luxury brands, publisher content apps, etc) remains a secondary priority behind behind having visitors engage with brand content. Something akin to:

"Hey check out our cool new video, great daily deal, shoe sale, story of the week, etc….and oh yeah, we have an app too.”

This lethargic attitude towards app promotion exists because the process of transitioning users is broken. Until now, attempting to move a web visitor into an app typically separates the visitor from their intent and the content they want to engage with. For example, if I tap on an ordinary deep link for app content and don’t already have the app installed, my intent / destination is lost as soon as I install the app.

Tapstream’s Deferred Deep Linking (DDL) solves this problem and enables brands to drive new users into their applications while keeping users connected to their desired content. For example, a magazine publisher could tweet out Deferred Deep Links for exclusive app content. Any follower tapping on the link who doesn’t already have the app installed will be automatically directed to the exclusive article once they download and run the app for the first time.

Being able to maintain a user’s intent until after install creates a win-win for the user and the brand. Deferred Deep Linking opens up a huge number of opportunities for brands to move mobile web visitors seamlessly into their apps. Here are just a few ideas:

Deferred Deep Linking can help brands extend / integrate their existing online marketing strategies with app marketing. Going back to the magazine example, a content publisher would likely have data about which type of articles resonate with certain demographics, market segments, and even geographic regions. Furthermore, they’re likely already using this data to target their marketing with content that resonates with specific audiences. Because DDLs enable customized first-run app experiences, a brand can easily incorporate them into their established online marketing practices and drive new users to the app.

At a high level, the idea of Deferred Deep Links is quite basic. It simply ensures that content a visitor wanted to reach on the web is automatically reached when a user transitions into your app for the first time. While simple in function, the opportunities enabled by DDL to create a seamless user experience open up many user acquisition options previously unavailable.